continuously; collude; a spell
Meanings
3 senses · 11 examplesadverb
continuously; without interruption; in one go
neutralOften followed by the suffix 儿 (r) in spoken language. Describes doing something in a single, unbroken effort.
He ran five li in one go without stopping.
I ate three buns in one sitting.
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She finished reading the book in one continuous sitting.
The workers kept working nonstop until dawn.
verb
to collude; to conspire; to act in collusion
derogatoryStrongly pejorative. Implies secret cooperation for unethical purposes. Often appears in set phrases like 串通一气 or 通同一气.
They colluded to deceive consumers.
These officials acted in collusion to embezzle public funds.
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The thieves committed many crimes in collusion.
measure word
a spell; a fit; a bout (of activity, often negative)
derogatoryUsed with verbs to indicate a short duration of activity. Almost always used pejoratively for chaotic, nonsensical, or negative actions.
He messed around for a spell and didn't do any real work.
Don't talk nonsense; you need to have evidence.
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He scribbled randomly for a bit; the article quality is very poor.
Everyone quarreled noisily for a spell.